Coeur Reports Year-End 2018 Mineral Reserves and Resources

Business Wire 20-Feb-2019 7:00 AM

Results reflect the fourth consecutive year of growth

Initial reserve declaration at Silvertip drives higher Companywide silver reserve grades

Measured and indicated gold and silver resources increase 26% and 2%, respectively

Inferred gold and silver resources increase 145% and 39%, respectively

Coeur Mining, Inc. ("Coeur" or the "Company") (NYSE:CDE) today reported year-end 2018 proven and probable reserves from continuing operations¹ of 2.8 million ounces of gold, 171.3 million ounces of silver, 291.2 million pounds of zinc and 197.5 million pounds of lead, an overall reserve increase year-over-year. Gold reserves declined modestly by 2%, while silver reserves increased 4%, year-over-year. Additionally, the Company declared initial zinc and lead reserves at its high-grade Silvertip mine located in northern British Columbia, Canada. The strong reserve growth was driven by the Company's continued investment in its success-based, near-mine exploration programs.

Year-end measured and indicated gold resources increased 26% compared to the prior year to 2.4 million ounces, while silver measured and indicated resources increased 2% to 228.7 million ounces. Higher gold resources were driven largely by Coeur's acquisition of the Lincoln Hill Project, which is located approximately four miles west of the Company's Rochester mine in northern Nevada. Zinc and lead resources declined primarily due to conversion into reserves, which had been the Company's drilling priority at Silvertip since its acquisition in late 2017.

The Company also saw inferred resource growth with gold and silver inferred resources increasing 145% and 39%, respectively, compared to 2017. The substantial increase to the Company's inferred resources was primarily a result of successful drilling at the Rochester mine and two strategic acquisitions of Nevada-based assets in 2018, including the Sterling Mine and Crown Block in southern Nevada.

For the year-end 2018 reserve estimate, Coeur's assumed gold reserve price remained unchanged at $1,250 per ounce. The Company's assumed silver reserve price was lowered from $17.50 per ounce to $17.00 per ounce. Zinc and lead reserve price assumptions were $1.25 and $1.00 per pound, respectively.

Highlights

• Fourth consecutive year of reserve growth driven by Silvertip – The Company successfully grew its reserve base for the fourth consecutive year in 2018, largely driven by the initial reserve declaration at Silvertip. In late 2018, the Company reported an initial reserve estimate at Silvertip. As of December 31, 2018, Silvertip's proven and probable reserves consisted of 14.9 million ounces of silver, 291.2 million pounds of zinc and 197.5 million pounds of lead, at grades of 8.43 ounces per ton ("oz/t"), 8.2% and 5.6%, respectively. The inclusion of these reserves also contributed to a 15.6% increase in Companywide silver reserve grade, as the silver reserve grade at Silvertip is currently over fifteen-times higher than the combined grade of the Company's other silver reserves
• Significant year-over-year increase in Palmarejo reserve grades and measured and indicated resources – Gold and silver reserve grades increased 15% and 25%, respectively, driven by positive grade reconciliation at the Guadalupe and Independencia mines and by drilling success at the nearby La Nación deposit. Measured and indicated gold and silver resources increased 25% and 30%, respectively, similarly driven by positive grade reconciliation at the underground mines and resource growth at La Nación
• Substantial increase to Rochester's resource base – Measured and indicated silver and gold resources increased 6% and 8%, respectively, year-over-year driven by solid exploration results primarily at Sunflower Ridge, immediately southwest of the Main Pit. Additionally, the Company successfully increased its Rochester silver and gold inferred resources 59% and nearly 100%, respectively. The substantial growth in inferred resources resulted from successful drilling at the Main Pit and surrounding areas, which intercepted several areas of high-grade mineralization during 2018
• Companywide measured and indicated resource growth – Coeur's measured and indicated gold and silver resources increased 26% and 2%, respectively, compared to year-end 2017, to 2.4 million ounces and 228.7 million ounces. In addition to the resource growth at Rochester described above, the acquisition of the nearby Lincoln Hill Project added approximately 364,000 ounces of gold and 10.2 million ounces of silver. At Palmarejo, expansion drilling delivered larger resources at the underground mines and resource growth at La Nación. At Wharf, gold resources increased by 68% year-over-year
• Strategic acquisitions of Nevada assets drove considerable increase in inferred resources – Year-end inferred resources totaled 2.7 million ounces of gold, more than double 2017, and 135.6 million ounces of silver, 39% higher than the prior year. The recently acquired Sterling Gold Project, which includes the highly prospective Crown Block, and the Lincoln Hill and Wilco Projects, collectively contributed approximately 1.5 million ounces and 11.5 million ounces of inferred gold and silver inferred resources, respectively

"Our 2018 drilling campaign delivered another year of reserve and resource growth. Reserves reflected the initial high-grade reserve declaration at Silvertip and higher average grades for both gold and silver. Total measured and indicated as well as inferred resources also increased meaningfully compared to the prior year," said Mitchell J. Krebs, Coeur's President and Chief Executive Officer. "These improvements reflected our steadfast commitment to high-return, near-mine exploration and opportunistic acquisitions that can bolster our future growth pipeline and enhance the overall quality of our asset base. We prioritized resource conversion drilling to support an initial reserve and mine plan at Silvertip, continued to expand resources and discover new structures at Palmarejo, Rochester and Kensington, and commenced exploration programs at the Sterling Mine and Crown Block after closing the Northern Empire acquisition at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

"As we look ahead in 2019, we remain excited about our portfolio's organic growth potential, especially at Silvertip, Palmarejo, Kensington and Sterling. Although we successfully bolstered our development pipeline through the acquisition of two highly-prospective land packages in Nevada, our exploration strategy remains unchanged. We'll continue to pursue near-mine targets and allocate capital based on our disciplined, success-based exploration framework. Success in recent years has proven the merits of this approach and we look forward to building on them."

About Coeur

Coeur Mining, Inc. is a well-diversified, growing precious metals producer with five mines in North America. Coeur produces from its wholly-owned operations: the Palmarejo silver-gold complex in Mexico, the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine in British Columbia, the Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada, the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota, and the Kensington gold mine in Alaska. In addition, the Company has interests in several precious metals exploration projects throughout North America.

Cautionary Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation in the United States and Canada, including statements regarding mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, exploration and drilling efforts, growth and investment. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Coeur's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risk that anticipated additions or upgrades to reserves and resources are not attained, the risk that planned drilling programs may be curtailed or canceled due to budget constraints or other reasons, the risks and hazards inherent in the mining business (including risks inherent in developing large-scale mining projects, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, weather or geologically related conditions), changes in the market prices of gold, silver, lead and zinc and a sustained lower price environment, the uncertainties inherent in Coeur's production, exploratory and developmental activities, including risks relating to permitting and regulatory delays (including the impact of government shutdowns), ground conditions, grade variability, any future labor disputes or work stoppages, the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of gold and silver reserves, changes that could result from Coeur's future acquisition of new mining properties or businesses, the loss of any third-party smelter to which Coeur markets silver and gold, the effects of environmental and other governmental regulations, the risks inherent in the ownership or operation of or investment in mining properties or businesses in foreign countries, Coeur's ability to raise additional financing necessary to conduct its business, make payments or refinance its debt, as well as other uncertainties and risk factors set out in filings made from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Canadian securities regulators, including, without limitation, Coeur's most recent report on Form 10-K. Actual results, developments and timetables could vary significantly from the estimates presented. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Coeur disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, Coeur undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of Coeur, its financial or operating results or its securities.

Christopher Pascoe, Coeur's Director, Technical Services and a qualified person under Canadian National Instrument 43-101, reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information concerning Coeur's mineral projects in this news release. Mineral resources are in addition to mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be considered for estimation of mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the inferred mineral resources will be realized. For a description of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and resources, as well as data verification procedures and a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates may be affected by any known environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant factors, Canadian investors should see the Technical Reports for each of Coeur's properties as filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors - The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits U.S. mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. We may use certain terms in public disclosures, such as "measured," "indicated," "inferred" and "resources," that are recognized by Canadian regulations, but that SEC guidelines generally prohibit U.S. registered companies from including in their filings with the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 10-K which may be secured from us, or from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

Notes

1. On February 28, 2018, Coeur divested the San Bartolomé mine through the sale of its 100%-owned Bolivian subsidiary. As a result, San Bartolomé is excluded from consolidating operating statistics for all periods presented unless otherwise noted.

Notes to above mineral reserves and resources:

1. Effective December 31, 2018.
2. Assumed metal prices for estimated Mineral Reserves were $1,250 per ounce of gold, $17.00 per ounce of silver, $1.25 per pound zinc, $1.00 per pound lead.
3. Assumed metal prices for estimated Mineral Resources were $1,400 per ounce of gold, $20.00 per ounce of silver, $1.30 per pound zinc, $1.05 per pound lead, except Lincoln Hill and Wilco at $1,350 per ounce gold and $22.00 per ounce silver, and Sterling at $1,200 per ounce of gold.
4. Mineral Resources are in addition to Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred Mineral Resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be considered for estimation of Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the Inferred Mineral Resources will be realized.
5. Rounding of tons and ounces, as required by reporting guidelines, may result in apparent differences between tons, grade, and contained metal content.
6. For details on the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, including the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, Canadian investors should refer to the NI 43-101 Technical Reports for Coeur's properties on file at www.sedar.com.

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